Alumni Weekend 2025: Friendship, Fellowship, and Fondness on Campus

“[At GFS] I learned the power of friendship. Friends have enabled me to live a productive, joy-filled life. Friends foster life-long bonds which honor individual differences and connect us all.” 

These wise words were shared by Josephine (Jo) Walker ’55 during her acceptance speech for the Susan Quillen West ’49 and David A. West ’49 Alumni Award during Germantown Friends School’s 2025 Alumni Weekend. Walker’s sentiment about the power of friendship resonated through the Meetinghouse, as she was flanked by 11 fellow members of the Class of 1955, there to cheer her on. 

Walker, who was diagnosed with polio as a child and found solace and support in the GFS community, was presented with the West Alumni Award in recognition of her decades of support to the school through volunteer work as class agent and reunion organizer.

Enduring friendships and lifelong connections were themes that ran throughout Alumni Weekend. The celebrations kicked off on Thursday, May 15, with the Alumni of Color and Retired Faculty and Staff of Color Reception, held at The Landing Kitchen in Bala Cynwyd. There, alumni of multiple generations enjoyed time with one another and beloved former teachers, and heard updates on GFS’ ongoing DEI work from Head of School Dana Weeks, and Charla Okewole, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

On Friday evening, hundreds from our community turned out—alumni, parents, students, faculty, and friends—for the Grand Opening celebration of the All School Commons and Alumni Weekend welcome reception. Guests mingled over refreshments, embarked on self-guided tours through the art-festooned building, and sampled fine wines at a wine tasting before gathering in the Barbara & David Loeb Performing Arts Center for a curated variety show, "Friends in Common." 

As guests filtered in, a slideshow was projected above the stage, providing background info on some of the named spaces in the building and partners that led the way on the project. The boisterous show opened with performances by Wesley Stace P'24'27 (also the emcee of “Friends in Common”) and lauded guest Eric Bazilian '71 (co-founder of the band The Hooters).

The show also featured a GFS history presentation from school archivist Tim Wood; spoken word pieces from Maurice Williams ’26 and Precious Eshiet ’27; a song from the Upper School Musical, “Man of La Mancha” by Vance Holliday ’25, accompanied by Benedict Tessler '25 on piano; two songs from the GFS Choir; and a faculty-led rendition of “Lean on Me” to close out the night.
 

Saturday morning began with a special Class of 1975 50th reunion gathering, a breakfast in the dining hall, and plenty of happy reunions and warm hugs.

Alumni enjoyed a series of activities, with plenty of downtime for campus exploration and relaxed conversations on the sunny Common. The West Awards were followed by Meeting for Worship, where a number of people reflected on the profound ways that the ritual of silent worship stayed with them since their school days.   

Following lunch in the new Dining Hall, everyone met at the recently-reopened front steps of Main Building for the dedication of the West Portico.

The iconic entrance to the school (and popular student hang-out), which was under construction for two years, was named in honor and memory of two esteemed GFS alumni, David A. West '49 and Susan Quillen West '49, both of whom passed away in 2023.

The Wests, who met at GFS, “carried deep affection and love for each other, and for their families and friends, throughout their lifetime,” said Dana Weeks, addressing the crowd. 

“They were also lifelong stewards of this community of Germantown Friends School. They served on school committees, they volunteered, they mentored, they were friends, and guides,” she continued. “David and Susan are exemplars of what it means to be caregivers and active participants in a community. And I think we have a lot to learn from the way they cared for GFS.”

Three generations of the West family were in attendance at the dedication ceremony. Memories were shared by two of their children, Ted West '71 and Bruce West '74, as well as their granddaughter, Kate Williams '00, joined by her daughter, Anna Richelson '30.

Bruce West thanked the School Committee and administration for making the dedication possible. 

“I can't even imagine how much this would mean to mom and dad. This is a very important moment for all of us, and I know it's an important moment for them,” he said.

During her speech, Kate Williams gestured to a photo displayed behind her of her daughter Anna, as a kindergartener, about to step foot into her new classroom at GFS. She was joined by her great-grandfather, David West, as this was once his kindergarten classroom. Williams spoke about her grandparents’ love for the school and how that love was contagious.

“It's the quiet courage that the school teaches, the lifelong friendships that it fosters, and the moral compass it helps to shape,” she said. “This portico represents a threshold into a community shaped by those values. And I think my grandparents' true legacy, and what they want for this school, is going to be carried by all the students who will walk through these doors in the future now and for generations to come.”

There was one more momentous dedication ceremony before the day was through. In the Scattergood Gym, the Athletics department retired the #21 basketball jersey of Jonathan Haynes ’90. From 1990 through 2025, Haynes held GFS' all-time scoring record in boys basketball, and made an indelible mark on the school as an athlete, teammate, and community member. He was joined by family, friends, fellow alumni, beloved coaches and mentors, and current Athletics staff at the ceremony that honored his lasting legacy.

“I’ve been a college coach since 1991, and I have not had a better player than Jonathan Haynes,” said his former coach, Alfred Johnson ’79.

After a rousing tribute video, in which a number of Haynes’ former classmates and teammates sent congratulations and shared memories, Haynes addressed the audience in an unscripted, from-the-heart speech.

“One of the things Coach Al did was make me believe in myself,” Haynes said. “I also want to shout out to my parents because they were instrumental in every step of the way. They put me in position to work hard, put me in position to succeed. Anything we needed, they were there for us.”

Haynes also recalled how when Johnson approached his parents, hoping that Haynes would play basketball for GFS, he told them how attending GFS means being part of a great, caring community in one of the best academic schools in the country. He predicted that Haynes (at the time known more as a football player) would have the chance to be the best basketball player in the school’s history.

“Everything that he said came to fruition,” Haynes noted. “Coach Al believed in not just me, he believed in our whole team. He said I would be all I could be, but more than that, you know, I became part of a bigger family in GFS and our culture. And I'm just so happy and so blessed to have him in my life.”

In the evening, class reunion parties met across town at restaurants, bars, and homes. Alumni Weekend concluded on Sunday with Germantown Monthly Meeting’s Meeting for Worship, and the All-School Choral Concert, where students from every division performed. It was a beautiful ending to a joy-filled weekend, with alumni spanning six decades of history returning to their alma mater to share memories and reconnect.